First let’s start with the fun part of my walk this morning. It was a nice coolish day, foggy, and the fall leaves covered the ground as we walked around the lake in town.

I made us all stop and take dogs in the colorful leaf photos just because.

Tom & Zora on leashes in the leaves on the ground

Tom sitting with fallen colored leaves all around him

Zora sitting with fallen colored leaves around her

We were walking along. Relaxing. In the groove. Dog being really good and enjoying their on-leash walk. My friend and I chatting as friends do on their nice chill morning walk around the lake with the dogs when the not fun part occurred.

So it’s said, if you are going to live on a main road where many people walk and you’re going to decide to have dog and you’re going to decide to not fence your damn yard, then well put the god damn dog on a leash or train the dog to not care about people and dogs passing their home.

Because having a dog silently charge out from no where straight line for us as we are walking gets me really really pissed and scared. I’m not a fan of the massive adrenaline rush I receive either, my cortisol levels don’t need to be that high! I’d rather your dog bark and make some noise, silent dogs coming right at me and my dogs where I can’t tell where they are coming from or what is around is terrifying.

And when I scream and yell, “NO!!!!!” as my startle reflex kicks in and there is no human voice of an owner or party otherwise responsible for this dog coming directly at me at a high rate of speed silently, saying anything to the dog, again terrifying.

My loud very firm “NO!!!!!” made the dog retreat. My friend said there was a kid in the yard, I yelled, “Is that dog on a leash?!” to silence. I couldn’t hear the dog, couldn’t see the dog anymore. My friend said it was with the kid. We started walking forward, I heard the dog rush and charge at us again, saw it when it reached the sidewalk, then heard it retreat. As I yelled at whoever was associated with that animal to leash their damn dog!

We got away from that property as fast as we safely could. Stopped and told our dogs they were wonderful and brilliant and such good dogs. And I practiced breathing again.

I like dogs. I love many dogs. I live my life pretty much revolved around dogs, both my own and other people’s. I hate being charged silently by a predator.

If you’re going to own a dog, a predator. Then be responsible. Fence or leash. And adult supervision. Not a child.

Because if your dog had actually attacked me and my dogs, I will choose to do whatever to keep my dogs safe. I’ve done it before. And I don’t want your dog to have to lose. As it won’t be their fault. It will be yours. For being an irresponsible asshole. And if your attacking predator of a dog had cause such damage that my guide dog could no longer do his job, or otherwise injured me or my dogs, you can bet your life I’d be pressing charges to the full extent of the law.

Even if your dog is ‘friendly’ and upon reaching us had no intention of doing escalating damage. Silently charging full speed directly at people and other dogs is an attack. Even if the intent is not to bite. It’s really really shitty social manners.

Leash, fence or high level of training. You own a dog those are your options. Making those people passing your property on the sidewalk adjust their routes and awareness because of your dog, not an option.

That said I love my dogs. They were very very very very good throughout this all. Such good dogs.

Tom and Zora on leash in the leaves. Why yes, yes we are very good dogs! Now let’s keep walking! they say.

0 thoughts on “Leash, Fence or High Level of Training. Those are your options.”

Wow, super scary! It reminds me of the time my husband, a mailman, was suddenly aware that three German Shepherds were headed his way. They were not harmless and he required many stitches. The only “adult” at the house was a babysitter who didn’t even have enough control to call the dogs back into the house. You bet your life we pressed charges!

I am so happy that nothing horrible happened to you, Tom or Zora. What a horrible feeling, though. So scary! I hope you never have to experience that again.

Our neighbors literally let their aggressive dog roam loose around the neighborhood. They know he’s aggressive and they just don’t care. Unfortunately, the majority of dog owners I have met are incompetent and irresponsible. I hate to be a downer, but it’s a fact, however sad. Take care of you and yours, and if that means pepper-spraying or hitting someone’s dog, that’s their problem.
I feel your pain.
Hugs. 💜

Ugh about the roaming aggressive dog. I would be beyond pissed about that. Yes I’m with you, many years ago at a facility I rented their aggressive dog got off leash (they had sworn to me up and down the dog would never be out of their house while I was there) while I was teaching and attacked one of my student’s dogs. It took me shoving my hand in his mouth (and getting bit of course) to pry his jaws off then kneeling on the dog’s neck cutting off his air supply to get him to at least be contained, as I growled to the owner to get a lead on him now before I killed their dog. It was horrific. Thankfully the student’s dog was unharmed both physically and mentally (thankfully a super resilient retriever) and I stopped teaching there immediately (much to the apparent surprise of the facility owners, they were still “oh this was a one time thing, we’ll be sure he’s locked up.” Yea sure fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, yea not happening!)

Wow, that sucks. Yeah, I have to admit I don’t actually carry pepper spray or anything with which to defend myself at the moment, but after the last time I was attacked by a dog, ( no injuries fortunately,) I am looking into it. Do you carry anything? Any recommendations?

I don’t carry anything but if I did, it would be an airhorn not pepper spray. For a couple of reasons. 1. using pepper spray you are just as likely to spray your own dogs or yourself. and 2. if a dog is seriously aggressive and bent on doing you harm, there is a high chance pepper spray will further antagonize and enrage them rather than discourage the attack. An airhorn the loud noise will help attracted other people’s attention as well as the majority of dogs will startle and stop in their tracks at least pausing forward progress when blasted by an airhorn. The other one I’ve recommended to students is a pop umbrella. The pop of the umbrella opening will usually startle and again stop forward progress of an oncoming dog, and you can use the umbrella to shield you and your dog, and or use the umbrella as a weapon if you absolutely had to for safety. Whatever you use though, I recommend acclimating your own dog to the noise/startle so that in an instant where you need it your own dog doesn’t panic and risk running away or endangering themselves or you. Honestly one of the most effective I’ve found for many oncoming dogs (again dogs that aren’t actually wanting to kill you but are more fearful, or social morons, or more chasing to scare away instead of wanting to actually bite you) is throwing a fistful of dog treats at them as they approach. I do this with a couple of dogs that chase us on fences (invisible and real), none of them bark at or chase at me anymore, they all race to the fence but instead of wanting to murder me or my dogs they are anticipating a toss of some treats. I figure if the owner doesn’t care enough to interrupt or stop their dog from fence fighting and running then they don’t care enough if I feed their dog to change the behavior. Fingers crossed and all the best with the neighborhood dog.